Our dog Waldo disappeared the other day. We searched and searched the house trying to find him. Finally we heard whimpering. Somehow he had managed to get up under the couch (he’s only a 5-pound Chihuahua) and into the springs where he got his leg caught. In his attempt to escape, he injured his knee and needed surgery. I wish we had listened to you when you talked about the importance of crate training to keep animals safe. We thought it was cruel, but now poor Waldo has gone through surgery, has to be quiet for six weeks, and then will go through rehab. A crate would have been a better option. Please let people know again that a crate is a safety thing, not jail for dogs. Thanks.

A: I’m sorry to hear of Waldo’s adventures, but glad that in the end he will be fine. It’s a hard way to learn a lesson, though. Our animals are like children and need constant supervision to stay safe.

Accidents can be avoided when we aren’t there to watch by using a crate. Think of the crate as a safety zone, not a jail. Dogs prefer to have small enclosures to help them feel safe and secure. That’s probably why Waldo climbed up into the couch in the first place. He was most likely looking for a den-like place to curl up. He didn’t realize the dangers involved. Thank goodness no one sat on the couch while Waldo was stuck in the springs!

When you first bring an animal home, it will become apparent immediately if he is used to being in a crate. You can toss treats in the crate, and if the animal goes in right away, close the door and see the response. If the animal curls up and lies down, or is at least calm, walk away and watch what happens. Don’t immediately go back if the dog barks as this will teach the dog to bark more. Keep doing something in the room and watch to see if the animal settles. Once he settles, you can go back and let the animal out. The only time you want to let the animal out right away is if it is immediately apparent that he will hurt himself if kept inside. Some animals do suffer from confinement issues, and these are the animals that you need to take time to crate train. It’s not impossible to get them used to the crate, but it will take more time and dedication to get them comfortable with confinement.

Most animals learn to curl up and settle in a crate while we are not able to watch them. If you properly introduce a crate, animals will learn to adapt and relax when put in one. Don’t expect your animal to instantly adapt to a crate—especially an adult. You need to get an animal slowly used to going in and out of a crate. Keep the crate in a room where everyone hangs out and leave the door open. If the animal is hesitant to go in, put some treats in the back. As the animal slowly goes to investigate, she will get used to going in and out of the crate and see there is no harm done there. After the animal is comfortable going in and out of the crate. Start to close the door for a few moments at a time. Then open the door to allow the animal to see that eventually the door will open and exiting will be allowed. Increase the amount of time the animal is in the crate.

Cats can also get used to being in crates if you have one who gets into lots of trouble or isn’t reliable with the cat box. Use a large enough crate with a cat box for litter box issues. If you have a cat that won’t go in the crate to go to the vet, keep a small one out all the time with the gate hooked open. Soon the cat will use the crate as a comfy bed, because it no longer means that something scary is about to happen. Then when it is time to go to the vet, it will be much easier to get the cat to go into the crate.

We can’t be with our animals 100 percent of the time, so crates are a great way to make sure our animals are safe when we are not there to supervise. It’s worth taking the time to crate train all animals as you never know when you may need one. Good luck to Waldo during his recovery and thank you for the reminder of how important crates can be.